A FEW NOTES ON REPRODUCTION IN HARDY PLANTS. 283 
in getting true hybrids between Viola cornuta of the Pyrenees and the 
Garden Pansy. Following up his idea, I fertilised Viola cornuta with 
pollen from Blue King Pansy (a bedding Pansy), and ripened a pod 
containing twelve seeds, which were at once sowed. Every seed 
germinated, and in the following spring the plants flowered with flowers 
of identical character, the long spur or horn seen in the under petal of 
V. cornuta being very conspicuous. These flowers were quite distinct 
from anything in the Viola family I have ever seen. Indeed it is safe to 
write that the cross had never been made till the plants of Mr. Williams 
and those above mentioned appeared. I tried to reciprocate the cross by 
taking pollen from i”. cornuta and applying it to the pistil of the same 
family (‘Blue King’). The produce was a failure, and many failures 
besides that recorded have occurred to other persons who have en- 
deavoured to raise Tufted Pansies in that manner, the result being 
straggling habits in the plants and large Pansy-looking flowers. The 
next step followed with the seedlings from V. cornuta crossed with 
Pansy ‘ Blue King’ when in full bloom was to fertilise the blooms with 
various coloured Pansies, the results being flowers showing almost every 
colour except yellow. The plants were of true tufted character, with 
blooms showing the horn or keel of V. cornuta species. Afraid lest these 
crosses should become too similar to the Pansy, I took pollen from 
the original cornuta hybrids and fertilised some blooms of those above 
described. ‘The stocks being sound this in-and-in breeding does not 
necessarily impair the vigour of the race.’’ Nor did I find it so in this 
instance. If any flaw in their constitution existed, there is no doubt 
that, sooner or later, a similar defect would ultimately appear in the 
progeny ; but this did not happen here, as the produce of the cross proved 
healthy in every respect. These seedlings had flowers three times larger 
than V. cornuta, and were of various colours, very tufty in habit, some 
almost proliferous, also most abundant in blooming. Mr. Barron, Garden 
Superintendent at Chiswick at that time, induced a number of growers 
of Viole to send selections from their stock to Chiswick Gardens in 
order to test by comparison when growing together which were the best 
varieties. His wish was responded to bya large number of growers, and a 
very interesting exhibition was the result. Mr. Barron wrote to me at the 
time inquiring howI had got the cross, at the same time stating that these 
plants had flowered more continuously than any of the varieties being 
tested there. Upon affording the information required, the Floral Com- 
mittee of the Royal Horticultural Society awarded me six First-class 
Certificates for varieties ‘Lady Susan Suttie,’ ‘Mr. Williams,’ ‘ Hillside 
Beauty,’ ‘ Ormiston Georgia,’ and ‘ Dr. Stuart.’ These certificates were 
awarded in 1874-5. The varieties were now grown on, by myself and 
friends, for several years, and were found to be excellent bedders and 
very hardy in withstanding climatic changes. As a bedding plant the 
Viola is peculiarly adapted to our Scottish climate, delighting as it does 
in cool, moist soil. The flowers are capable of making a continuous 
display in the flower-beds to compete with it, and by hand-crossing the 
varieties are numberless. I may mention here that these varieties were 
all more or less rayed in the centre of the flower. A floral friend 
remarked, “ With regard to a white-rayed self, if you could only get 
